PURPOSE: The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, designated as 15 June, was initiated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) in 2006, and recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/66/127 adopted in 2011. The purpose of the day is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
FORUM: "Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Older Age Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses." World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023. Ahead of the milestone of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), this commemoration of WEAAD 2023 will also connect with the year-long campaign to promote and recognise the 75th anniversary. As the month of June of the campaign will focus on showcasing the UDHR by raising awareness on its legacy, relevance and activism as relates to women’s rights, the theme of the 2023 WEAAD commemoration in the United Nations Headquarters in New York is entitled ”Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age - Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.” Folllow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldElderAbuseAwarenessDay, #WEAAD, #Elderabuse, #15June.
EVENTS: At UNHQ New York, a panel discussion will be held to observe the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023 on Thursday, June 15th, from 1:15 pm to 2:30pm (EDT). An expert panel will present overall trends of violence against older persons, highlight gaps and challenges of implementing the objectives in Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. Expert panelists will also present five priorities to combat violence against older persons in the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030). In the context of last year’s commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), the World Health Organization in partnership with Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN WOMEN and with support from the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), published Tackling abuse of older people: five priorities for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030. The resource outlined key priorities to prevent and respond to abuse of older persons and, hence, contribute to improving their health, well-being and dignity. This year, the commemoration will provide an update on the implementation of the priorities. Watch the event!. At UN Geneva, a hybrid side event entitled ”Closing the circle: Addressing Gender-based violence in old age.” will be held during the 53rd Human Rights Council Session.
WEBINARS: On June 15, 2023, come learn from experts and each other about the best practices for preventing elder abuse, and the latest trends among aging population at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference. “SEE IT. STOP IT. PREVENT IT. Elder Abuse Awareness”, you have also the possibility to join the UNECE and the NGO Committee on Ageing in New York in their observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023.
PODCASTS: Every day, seniors fall prey to fraud and financial abuse. They’ve spent decades carefully saving, only to have their nest egg wiped out, sometimes in hours. It’s a low-risk crime, it’s lucrative, and it’s often unreported. Let’s explains how the legal system can change to accommodate elderly victims and what YOU can do to protect your parents, grandparents, and neighbors from elder crime. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS : Elder crime is shockingly prevalent: one in ten adults over 60 will be abused in their lifetime. It could be physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Often at the hands of family members. The Elder Abuse: Shift Your Perspective campaign includes a series of videos which prompt perpetrators to consider how their behaviour might be affecting older people in their lives. Get the Campaign materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
The WEAAD, designated as 15 June, was initiated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) in 2006, and recognized as a United Nations Day by the General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/66/127 adopted in 2011.
According to World Health Organization estimates, 1 in 6 people over 60 years of age suffers from abuse. That means nearly 141 million people globally. This number may be much higher as neglect, abuse and violence of older people are among the most hidden and underrepresented violations of human rights.
We celebrate the day to eliminate of all forms of neglect, abuse and violence of older persons as well as mobilize governents in the creation of support services to address elder abuse.
ACTIONS
Here is the 5 priorities to tackle abuse of Older Persons
Combat Ageism as it is a major reason why the Abuse of older people receive so little attention
Generate more data and better Data to raise awareness of the problem
Develop and scale up more cost-effective solutions to stop abuse of older person
Make an investment case focusing on how addressing the problem is money well -spent
Raise fund as more ressources needed to tackle the problem
PARTNERSHIPS
The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); The UN Human Rights Council; The Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA); The World Health Organization (WHO); The World Federation for Mental Health (WMHF); The NGO Committee on Ageing-NY; The Permanent mission of chile to the united nations; The NGO-COA Subcommittee on Older Women; The International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH); The International Disability Alliance (IDA); The International Institute on Ageing (INIA), The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) , The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN-Women and many other Civil Society Organizations.